BRUSSELS, Belgium / EuroWire.IO / – European support for developing countries facing climate change topped €41 billion in 2025, according to figures published by the Council of the EU. Public sources provided €32.3 billion in climate finance, while a further €9.3 billion came from private investors mobilised by public action. The figures cover the EU and its 27 member states. They were released on October 29, ahead of COP31.
The EU budget, including the European Development Fund, supplied €4.3 billion of the public total. The European Investment Bank added €2.7 billion. The public figure is based on commitments for bilateral finance and disbursements of multilateral finance for calendar year 2025. Grants made up 41% of the public contribution. The figures were compiled from reports by EU institutions and member states. National governments account for the bulk of the remaining public funds.
The private finance figure reflects money raised through public interventions such as guarantees, syndicated loans, credit lines and direct investments in companies. It excludes the public funds used to attract that investment. Private mobilisation fell from €11.0 billion in 2024, while public finance rose from €31.7 billion. The combined total for 2025 reached €41.6 billion. In 2024, the combined figure had stood at €42.7 billion.
Nearly half of public funds go to adaptation
Data compiled by the European Commission show that 48% of public climate funding went to adaptation or cross-cutting projects. Cross-cutting projects combine measures to adapt to climate change with efforts to reduce emissions. Adaptation helps communities prepare for extreme weather, water shortages and rising sea levels. The rest of the public money supported projects focused mainly on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Many developing countries are highly exposed to climate impacts.
The EU had pledged to strengthen its climate finance targets at COP29 in Baku. That conference agreed a new goal for developed countries to provide at least $300 billion a year by 2035. It also called for scaling up total finance to developing nations to $1.3 trillion a year from all sources. The EU and its member states are among the largest providers of public climate finance.
COP31 talks open in Antalya next month
The figures were published to inform the UN climate conference, COP31, which runs from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Türkiye. The meeting will also host CMA8, the gathering of parties to the Paris Agreement. Negotiators are expected to focus on turning climate pledges into action. The WMO said this week that greenhouse gas levels hit a new record in 2025. CO2 concentrations reached 426.8 parts per million.
Climate finance remains a central issue in UN talks, as developing countries seek more support for adaptation and clean energy. The EU reports its contributions each year ahead of the conference. Its 2025 figures combine money from the EU budget, the European Investment Bank and national governments. The private share of the total fell to about 22% in 2025, down from roughly 26% a year earlier. Grants are considered especially important for poorer countries with high debt levels.